An adventure at Waldo Lake in pictures

 

The Beginning: Waldo Lake. Ride began at 11:45 AM. Supposed to be an intermediate ride with a few experienced parts.



Where's Waldo? Checking out the loop around Waldo Lake. Having fun.

Brent's Before Picture

Becky Before Picture

Luke and Giles Before Picture

Breathtaking View of the Forest

The coolest part of the ride

Two hours into the ride. The guys trying to figure out where we are and how long we have left. I made them take a picture in case we got lost.

See this map? It seems we got off the main trail and onto the wilderness trail. Darkness creeping in and finally arrive back at the car at 6:00 PM.

Giles After: Took a spill.

Luke After: Stitches but he still had fun.



Brent After: Kinda smiling with a thumbs up



Becky After: Definitely broke my new bike in. What a ride now turn the heat on.



Do I have to or do I get to?

A few weeks ago, someone I know brought up a very interesting point. He was talking about someone he had interviewed and how the candidate had mentioned several times that they had to do things instead of get to do things. It was something that really stuck in my mind.

For example:

Do I have to commute two hours a day or do I get to commute two hours a day?
I get to commute two hours each day because I have a cool, rewarding job at a winery.

Do I have to go for a run or do I get to go for a run?
I get to go for a run because I am healthy enough to do so and it is a great stress reliever.

Do I have to make dinner or do I get to make dinner?
I get to make dinner and enjoy delicious food and conversation with my boyfriend.

You get the point. So the next time you feel like you have to do something, take an extra minute to think about why you get to do it and all the joy that comes with it. It will put things back in perspective.

Capital Press agriculture news...Old grape sparks new interest

Check out this article on the From Vine to Wine project at Willamette Valley Vineyards.

Capital Press agriculture news

"If not now, then when?" philosophy of life

I recently received an inspiring email from a woman named Julia in Boston, Massachusetts. Julia Googled "wine my way around the world" and wouldn't you know that my blog, "I was born with a suitcase in my hand..." appeared at the top of the search list. Don't believe me? Google it. I did. How cool is that? Google I heart you.

Julia is restless for adventures and travel, and her philosophy of "if not now, then when?" is right on. Julia I say go for it. What do you have to lose? Apply for your working holiday visa, board a flight to New Zealand and enjoy. I miss a good Sauvignon Blanc. Maybe you can sneak me a couple bottles back?

This email could not have come at a better time. Instead of thinking about doing something, I am just going to do it because "if not now, then when?" No second thoughts. No regrets. Leap forward and take a chance. Life as you know it will still be here waiting if things don't work out, but most likely you will open up doors that you never knew existed.

Just booing around together

Brent and I met seven months ago today. I am one lucky gal. In this short time we have experienced so much together skiing, the coast, biking in Bend, wine tasting and brewery tours, our trip to California, our trip to the Midwest and moving in together. Brent is an amazing person and I am lucky he took a chance on me.

Taking it one step at a time

Step by step. Day by day. I am counting down the days until I see the specialist in Portland. My health pretty much sucks right now. It has gotten worse over the past three months. Each day provides its own unique challenges both physically and mentally. It is kind of like looking in a mirror, seeing yourself, but not being able to be yourself.

The good news...Yesterday I rented my apartment in Sherwood. The lease only allowed me to sign on roommates and not sublet so my new roommates are a husband, a wife, a six month old baby and a dog. This is a huge relief.

Brent and I are still settling into our Eugene apartment. We still have a few things to unpack and organize, but it finally feels like home. It is just in time for my favorite season of the year...Fall. There is nothing better than the leaves changing colors, harvest beginning and of course fresh hopped beers!

Life is like a roller coaster ride. Sit, back, hang on and enjoy the ride.

Where I come from (Wisconsin)

Brent and I took a trip back to the Midwest. One whole week of vacation. Our adventures started in Des Moines, Iowa to meet his family (the whole extended family showed up) followed by a roadtrip to Wisconsin to see my family and then back to Des Moines, Iowa to end our trip.

The trip to Wisconsin was delightful because where I come from we don't get cell phone service, we ride tractors and gators around, we gift pistols instead of diamonds for 25th wedding anniversaries, relatives live close (grandpa with us and grandma next door) and we end the night with a bottle or two of wine while watching the sunset over the valley.

Yep. My family is something else. For entertainment we passed my mother's camera around the table and took self portraits. See below for a few examples.

Aunt Jen (She started it.)

Grandma Lee



Nikki and Nick

Cool weather takes toll on Oregon vineyards

Autumn Lee

On Sunday, my friend and coworker Autumn Lee was whitewater rafting with her family on the McKenzie River when her raft overturned. She became trapped under a log. She was finally set free and brought to shore by her 2 siblings, where CPR was administered until emergency crews arrived. Autumn, a mother of 6, was transported to the nearest hospital. She is in critical condition and on life support.

Autumn Lee has worked for Willamette Valley Vineyards for 11 years. She is passionate about everything she does. I admire her in so many ways and miss her. We are all praying for her and her family. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers.

When two become one

Six months ago I met the most wonderful man at Spoon's in Salem, Oregon. Who knew that one simple lunch date would change my life so much.

This weekend we combine two apartments, two pets, two wine collections two lives and two dreams into one. Goodbye Tualatin-Sherwood Road...I will definitely not miss you.

Thank you Bacchus fine wines and Willamette Valley Vineyards for loaning me a sprinter van which I so proudly used to pack all of my belongings in. I kind of viewed it as gorilla marketing campaign.

The future looks good. There are a few bumps in the road that lie ahead, but I think that I am too stubborn to let anything get in my way. All I can say is that seize each and every opportunity that comes your way. Don't save nice jewelry, expensive or special bottles of wine and/or new clothes for a special occasion...each day is a special occasion. Celebrate life.

From Vine to Wine Teaser 2010

Enjoy the view

Mountain biking in Sunriver was a blast! The views were unbelievable. The most amazing part was that I was able to bike for 4 hours on an intermediate trail filled with quite a few obstacles like trees, rocks, branches, chipmunks, other bikers and I didn't even hurt myself. There were a few close calls, but in the end all I ended up with is a sore butt from the bike seat. Not bad. Not bad at all. Brent's newest nickname for me is BABS (Bad Ass BootS). It must be the extreme sportswoman in me.

During my three fantastic days in Bend & Sunriver with Brent, we checked off two more breweries in the Brew-Ha Guide: 10 Barrel Brewing and Cascade Lakes. My new favorite beer is the 10 Barrel Brewing Apocalypse IPA. It is so good...especially after a 4 hour bike ride.

Life has been full of changes. I am moving to Eugene next week. Brent and I are renting a two bedroom place in the building he currently lives in now. Six months of living out of a suitcase from place to place was enough. I know what you are thinking. I should be used to living out of a suitcase, right? Yeah I still am, but there comes a time and a place when you just wish you had everything in one location.

I learned a lot this weekend:
1. Surround yourself with people who bring you happiness.
2. Challenge yourself to do things you think are impossible.
3. Remember to take time for yourself.
4. It is okay to be lazy once in awhile. Yes. Naps in the middle of the day are alright.

Pictured: View from bike trail looking over Deschutes River and the lava rock you can see Three Sisters snow capped mountains.

R Little Vineyard 2010 harvest

Established in 2006, R Little Vineyard is located in Stoddard, WI. The Rochester family specializes in growing cold climate varietals.

Harvest is right around the corner at R Little Vineyard in Stoddard, Wisconsin. That is right! We grow grapes in Wisconsin. The first vineyard was planted in 2005. And no, I did not get into the wine industry because my family has a vineyard and makes wine. My parents actually got into planting a vineyard and making wine because of me.

All of the grapes we grow are sold to two different Wisconsin wineries. Right now the grapes are hitting between 12-17 degrees Brix. Most of the varieties in the vineyard are targeted to be picked between 16-24 degrees Brix. The bird netting is on and now we just wait. Wisconsin is looking at a record season of rainfall and extreme hot temperatures. This can provide quite the challenge. These last few weeks are important and we can lose the entire crop to one storm.

My family plans to open up R Little Winery in 2012 or whenever my dad retires. I must say that he is making some pretty remarkable cold climate wines already. I am so proud of my parents for what they have accomplished and that they join me in my passion for the wine industry.

Check out R Little Vineyard website (still under contstruction) at http://www.rlittlevineyard.com/.

Cheers.

Boots

Remember that you know yourself best

Thank you Dr. L. Marcela Serrano. You have changed my life for the better. Three states, 10+ years and so many doctors I have lost count later, you finally figured it out. I have been diagnosed with Central Hypothyroidism, and I am happy. I am happy that I finally have an answer to why I have felt so sick for the past 10+ years. I am happy that over the next few weeks I will begin to feel normal again.

What is so astonishing is that most pituitary tumors are noncancerous (benign). Up to 20% of people have pituitary tumors. However, many of these tumors do not cause symptoms and are never diagnosed during the person's lifetime. The pituitary gland is a pea-sized endocrine gland located at the base of the brain. The pituitary helps control the release of hormones from other endocrine glands, such as the thyroid and adrenal glands.

I knew that something was wrong with me, but the doctors could not figure it out. I spent thousands of dollars on different tests and nothing. I just accepted that this is how everyone else feels, but I knew deep down that something was wrong. Today I feel relief. Relief that I have an answer. Relief that I am going to start feeling better again soon. I also feel anger. I am angry that no one picked up on this sooner. To know that I had to undergo so many pointless tests over the years and not have any answers. Today is the beginning of a better life. I have a few more appointments and tests to undergo, but I know this is all treatable.

Tomorrow I start my journey of a better life. And yes, this is still my best year yet. I have met a wonderful man, have a challenging and rewarding career in the wine industry and I am living in a state that is full of adventure and beauty. Remember that you know yourself best. Don't give up when you know something isn't right.

Oh yeah...I am moving to Eugene!

Parking Lot Blogging & The Bite

This is my first official parking lot blog post. I cancelled my Internet a couple months ago so I wouldn't spend so much time online and working from home. Now look at me...I am sitting in the Starbucks parking lot at 8:00 PM at night (They are closed!) in my Xterra blogging away.
I wonder what people who pull up besides me think. Do I care? Not really. Back in the day when I was a Sales Rep for Bargetto Winery in the Midwest, I used to sit in parking lots and borrow WI-FI from Panera's all the time. It was convenient. That is what road warriors do.

This past weekend I spent in Portland at The Bite. The event was Friday, Saturday and Sunday. This is truly a locals best of food, wine and beer event. This was the perfect off-site event for Willamette Valley Vineyards. Sarah and I unloaded the Sprinter van Thursday night. Man...Sprinter vans are hard to drive. I literally got us stuck in a parking lot downtown. It took a good 20 minutes and Sarah directing me to get out. I must say that Sarah has driving that thing down. One little boy even told his mom, "Wow. That girl drives that big truck!" I need a little more training before I drive that thing again. Right Sarah?

Thursday night Sarah and I did a 30 person educational winetasting event at Mercy Corps in downtown Portland. Mercy Corps. is a great company doing wonderful things, and the group who attended was fabulous. 

Friday morning we got up bright and early so we could organize and decorate our booth. Check out the booth picture of Sarah Kammerer and Steve Krug below. The weather was perfect. Thanks to all of the employees and volunteers who helped make this weekend a success!

Pictured above: The Bite from Morrison Bridge

Pictured above: Steve Krug and Sarah Kammerer

Pictured above: Becky Rochester stumbled upon the Portland Warehouse

Nickname "nekename"

This past weekend Brent, Matt, Chelsea and I went golfing at Edgefield. My third time golfing was actually fun! This time around there weren't any kangaroos, but there was a brewery on site. My bio dad would be proud of my golfing skills. I managed to hit the ball, mostly on the first time around and I didn't mess up any clubs. Remember dad...I created memories!

Brent's friend, Matt, is visiting from Iowa. His nickname for me is Traveling Suitcase. I began pondering the history of the word "nickname". So I asked my good friend Google, and here is what I found out.

According to Wikipedia, "The compound word ekename, literally meaning "additional name", was attested as late as 1303.[3] This word was derived from the Old English phrase eaca "an increase", related to eacian "to increase".[4] By the 15th Century, the misdivision of the syllables of the phrase "an ekename" led to its corruption into the form "a nekename."[5] Though spelling has changed, the pronunciation and meaning of the word have remained relatively stable ever since."

I have quite a few nicknames: Becky, Becks, Becca, Beckster, Scons, Boots, Traveling Suitcase...and the list goes on. What is your nickname and how did you get it?

Pictured Right: Brent and Matt golfing at Edgefield in Troutdale, Oregon.

Pictured Left: Chelsea looks like a real pro. That woman can putt.

Willamette Valley Vineyards Bike Ride and Hill Climb Challenge

I am back!

Hello. I took a mini break from blogging, but I am back! I am trying to spend less time in front of a computer, so I cancelled my internet at home. It has been nice, but I there are some family and friends who don't feel the same way. So here I am.

Let me catch you up on the past month:

I celebrated my one year anniversary with Willamette Valley Vineyards on June 23, 2010. Woot! Woot!

I celebrated my 30th birthday on the 4th of July. Woot! Woot!

I participated in the first annual Bikes, Brews and BBQs in Eugene on a tandem bike with Brent. I have managed to visit all the local Eugene breweries on my list and am slowly trying to tackle the Portland ones, one-by-one. I am inching closer to completing my 2010 brewery tour in Oregon.

Other fun adventures include a day white water rafting with friends on the McKenzie River, attending a a Timber soccer game in Portland and graduating from Des Moines Area Community College with a Certificate of Specialization in Enology.

So you really haven't missed too much. Thanks for all the birthday wishes and I hope everyone is having a wonderful summer.

Just another Wednesday hanging out with Dr. Richard Smart

Tomorrow I will be attending Improving Wine Quality in the Vineyard Seminar hosted by Chemeketa Community College. The main speaker is Dr. Richard Smart. He is the Managing Director of Smart Viticulture, an international vineyard consulting business. He consults in 28 countries, with a specialty of vineyard manipulation of wine quality, and is considered an authority on canopy management. From 1982 to 1990 he was the Government Research Viticulturist for New Zealand. His book “Sunlight into Wine” is recognized world wide. I was lucky enough to work at the same winery as Dr. Richard Smart in Tasmania.

I would see him and his wife day to day at the Tamar Ridge Estate in Kayena, Tasmania. I missed my opportunity to take a picture with him because I was too shy! Tomorrow I will snap a few. His experimental wines at Tamar Ridge were fantastic.

AGENDA
9:00 a.m. Registration and coffee

9:30 a.m. Welcome
9:40 a.m. Vineyard Factors Affecting Wine Quality
10:20 a.m. Managing Vineyards to Improve Wine Quality by Canopy Management and Irrigation
11:00 a.m. Influence of Vine Vigor on Wine Quality
Noon Lunch provided
1:00 p.m. Managing Vineyards to Improve Wine Quality Using Modern and Old Technology
2:00 p.m. Visit Chemeketa’s teaching vineyard to discuss vineyard attributes and wine quality
4:00 p.m. Tasting of local wines

Monday, Monday

Life has been kind of crazy lately. So I have started a board of inspirational pictures, quotes and realizations to view each day to guide me back to the positive side. Instead of letting a chaotic work environment get me down, I will embrace each day as a new opportunity. I have realized that I cannot change everything. The things that I can change I will. I want to enjoy life to the fullest. I have only one life to live and plan to do so smiling and experiencing all that I can. So I will leave you with a few of the inspirational quotes and guidelines for living life that are posted on my board.

Be as kind to the janitor/maintenance/vineyard worker/ as you are to the CEO.

Your friends love you! Realize that not everyone at work needs to.

Mistakes? Nah. Call them learning opportunities.

Embrace what you've got. Acceptance gives off good energy, and there isn't a person alive who isn't attracted to that.

You just have to make the decision to go forward and never look back--and then move slowly and steadily toward your goal.

I will measure my success in how many times I smile in a day and not how many dollars I make in a day.

I will travel the world like it is my playground. I will see and experience everything possible.

I was not born to sit in a cubicle day after day.

I will go out and make change instead of sit and hope for it.